The United States will not send representatives to a UN memorial ceremony for Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, a State Department spokesperson told RFE/RL. The United Nations on May 29 announced plans to hold the memorial ceremony on May 30, and UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis said member states were encouraged to deliver statements paying tribute to Raisi. The announcement sparked criticism from rights activists, who decried a move to honor a man they refer to as the "Butcher of Tehran" over his alleged role in the mass execution of political prisoners in 1988. Raisi died in a helicopter crash on May 19 along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and several other officials.
No U.S. Representatives Will Attend UN Memorial For Iran's Raisi
A portrait of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi during his funeral on May 22